Harmony & Peace Award

What a surprise greeting upon my return to blogland–an award nomination for a:

Harmony & Peace Award.

This has certainly caught my attention because I long for a more peaceful world. Blogging surely has a role to play in developing mutual understanding between people; to foster peace, goodwill, and help for those in need. Those of us who have the resource of the internet at our fingertips are lucky. We can choose to use it for good or for bad. Please use it for good!

Leaving the altruism aside for a more selfish moment, I do like the sound of a Harmony & Peace Award because I do like hearing voices in musical harmony*–music is important in my life–and, as any mother of three children (like me) will tell you, a little peace (and quiet) is bliss! 


The nomination for this award is from Canadian blogging friend Mary-Anne of Breathing Life.  Thank you Mary-Anne! 

Mary-Anne uses her blog to reflect on many issues and events in daily life with a lot of wisdom behind her thought-provoking posts. Through the Harmony & Peace Award, Mary-Anne has nominated 7 blogs that bring harmony and peace to her world and provided the most eloquent descriptions. I wish I could consolidate so much information into such a brief description! I am envious of Mary-Anne's writing skills.

Thank you for including Lupey Loops in your list, Mary-Anne.
I look forward to exploring the other blogs in that list too.

Barbara Mattio's image of water lilies.

The Harmony & Peace Award was created by the owner of the IdealisticRebel blog, Barbara Mattio to "celebrate all those who promote Harmony & Peace, and who add Love & Beauty to the world through their Blogs and through their lives.  Their Positivity makes the world a better place for all of us." 

I thank Mary-Anne of Breathing Life for bringing the IdealisticRebel blog to my attention as Barbara Mattio's messages are vital for peace and healing in the world.  If only more people would be able to receive these messages and take action in their own lives to prevent the perpetuation of violence in the world.

Not that I ever wanted Lupey Loops to become political!  No, there are many other blogs that do that very well.  I will continue to promote friendship and crochet fun with a bit of 'patient wisdom' and personal reflections about my life 'at the lupus end of the spectrum'.



The Harmony & Peace Award Rules are:

1. Give this award to seven bloggers who have added Harmony & Peace, Love & Beauty and Positivity to the world you live in.
2. Let them know that you nominated them.
3. Acknowledge the blogger from whom you received this award.
4. Display your award on your blog, because  you have earned it!
5. Continue to live in Harmony & Peace.

Here are my seven (or more) bloggers who add love and beauty to the world:

Hummingbird Redemption: Raphaela is the embodiment of love and peace to all.  She has suffered much trauma and abuse in her young life and, as an adult, turned it around to fight evil with love.


Talking the Walk: Dr Gill Hicks MBE, South Australian of the Year, lost her legs in the London bombings. She is another example of someone who has taken the anger and hurt of trauma and channelled that energy to 'Make A Difference' towards peace and harmony in the world with her "M.A.D. for Peace" campaign.

Footprints: Rachel's family has decided to reduce its impact on the environment and increase its impact on ethical and fair trade. This is her personal blog along the way with discussion of ideas, issues and lifestyle changes.


Pigtails: Magda de Lange is a well-travelled blogger who describes herself as "a Global Nomad, Ethnographer, Humanist, Global Learning Specialist, Cyber Anthropologist and Hooker." (That last title refers to crochet by the way!) Magda shares photos and interesting information about the places she visits and the people who live there (and about her exquisite crochet too!) 

I believe that education is a key to peaceful understanding between people and Magda fosters that in her blog. One of her interests is to use photography in her research "eventually leading to the empowerment of the marginalised". Notwithstanding her academic interests, Magda's blog is a visual delight.


Little Woollie: Julie Harrison shares her love for colourful yarns by opening her own online wool shop but she is generous in supporting other people by sharing their hand-made goodies on her "Friday Finds" and having giveaways on her blog. 

Julie is involved in her local community through markets, crochet classes and fundraising events and I recommend her post called "The Kindness of Community" for inspiration:  "…by acting on a local level, in our own little communities, spreading kindness and practically helping someone you know or are acquainted with, is a powerful way to spread goodwill… "


Crochet Between Worlds: the story of friendship between Michelle and Anne who live on opposite sides of the globe (Australia & Germany). They describe their friendship here and invite their readers to become a part of their friendship circle as they blog about craft, cooking and good company. Anne and Michelle prove that living in different hemispheres is no barrier to cultivating friendships.


Yarn & Pencil: Tracey's blog started in February this year "as a positive outlet... a celebration of all things creative and inspiring as an antidote to anxiety and depression" and it is a friendly, colourful and happy place.  

Tracey's photographs of her crochet, garden and the things that bring happiness to her, also bring a smile to me.  I find it inspiring and peaceful to view the pretty scenes.  This is good because her aim is that readers "can leave feeling happy and perhaps a little inspired". Tracey spreads her good cheer with friendly words on her own blog and in comments on other blogs as well.  While it is only a relatively young blog, Tracy has made a positive contribution to my blogging community.


Foxs Lane: Kate's well-established and popular blog brings so much joy to many. With beautiful photographs to supplement her observations of life on her organic farm, Kate reminds us to treasure the simple joys of family life, wholesome food, self-sufficiency and handicrafts, all underpinned by love.  The city-slickers amongst us can get a glimpse of a peaceful place away from the hustle and bustle, where one can take a bush walk and enjoy a slower pace of life. Kate's blog reminds us to appreciate the here and now and to find enjoyment and satisfaction. What a wonderful world it would be if more people were able to find contentment.

Finally, I cannot go without including Malala Yousafzai in my list of bloggers as she fights for education for all of the world's children, especially girls. Education is a key ingredient for creating peace in our world. 

This month in Sydney, a violent seige by a crazed man who used his notions of Islam to justify his behaviour, had the potential to divide or unite our community.  I am proud that Australian society had the wisdom and maturity... 

• to see that this was one man acting alone; 
• to understand that the views and actions of one man do not necessarily represent the views of the greater community; 
• to recognise that Islam, like all of the major religions, teaches love and peace towards others and to follow the laws of the country where one lives; 
• to be aware that extremist views occur in all religions
• to know that most people in the world want a peaceful life.

As a result of these understandings, Australians united against acts of violence and came together to share and express their grief and caring in the wake of the tragedy while supporting each other. How did our society develop this wisdom?  Through education.

I do not know if Malala Yousafzai has an active blog right now as she is extremely busy but she does inspire me with such wisdom for one so young and with her courage, and it all started with a blog.

Which blogs add harmony, peace, beauty and love to your world?

Mine is a list of just a few people who are making our world a friendlier, more colourful, fun, loving, world of peace, harmony and understanding.  Everybody has the power to influence their own social sphere on this planet. If you are feeling overwhelmed or powerless that you are 'just one person' and 'what difference will one person make in the face of everything', I encourage you to visit these blogs and I will leave you with one of my favourite slogans:

If you feel you are too small to make a difference,

Try sleeping in a room with one tiny mosquito!

*Musical Harmony on Christmas Day 2014 in South Australia

Radio Adelaide will be broadcasting the Lessons & Carols service which was held at 
St Peter's Cathedral in North Adelaide and recorded live earlier this month.

I was privileged to hear a rehearsal in which the choir sounded like angels, singing Stille Nacht Heilige Nacht. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the service so I am looking forward to enjoying the effects of the cathedral's acoustics during the broadcast from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on 101.5 MHz on the FM band: https://radio.adelaide.edu.au/program/classical-connection/

Links

ABC News, "Sydney Seige: two hostages and gunman dead after heavily armed police storm Lindt cafe in Martin Place", online article, 16 December 2014, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Sydney, Australia : http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-16/sydney-siege-gunman-two-hostages-dead/5969162

ABC News, "#illridewithyou: support for Muslim Australians takes off following Sydney siege", online article, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Sydney, Australia: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-15/illridewithyou-hashtag-takes-off-following-siege/5969102

BBC News Asia, "Profile: Malala Yousafzai" online article,10 December 2014,British Broadcasting Corporation, UK: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-23241937

Breathing Life blog (Mary-Anne): http://mary-mann.blogspot.ca/2014/12/harmony-and-peace-award.html

Crochet Between Worlds (Anne & Michelle): http://crochetbetweentwoworlds.blogspot.com.au/2014/10/our-stories-friendship-between-two.html

Footprints (Rachel): http://largeandsmallfootprints.blogspot.com.au/

Foxs Lane (Kate): http://foxslane.blogspot.com.au/

Harmony & Peace Award (original award): http://idealisticrebel.com/tag/harmony/

Hummingbird Redemption (Raphaela): http://hummingbirdredemption.com/

IdealisticRebel blog (Barbara Mattio): http://idealisticrebel.com/

Little Woollie (Julie Harrison): http://littlewoollie.blogspot.com.au/2014/08/the-kindness-of-community.html

Radio Adelaide (5UV): https://radio.adelaide.edu.au/

Talking the Walk blog (Dr Gill Hicks MBE): http://www.gillhicksspeaking.com/blog

Yarn and Pencil (Tracey): http://yarnandpencil.blogspot.com.au/p/about-me.html